When listening to the debut full-length LP Fish from the Sky from San Francisco-based E.G. Phillips, also known as Ducks With Pants, the first words that come to mind are ‘whimsical’ and ‘charming.’ The words ‘incredibly good’ also slip into the mix. Compiled of ten short tracks that blend quirky singer-songwriter pop with folk sensibilities, the album is Phillips’ “motley collection” of tracks he’s put together while living in the Bay and “haunting the various open mic venues in coffee houses and bars that the city makes available.” The opening track, “Tall Girls In Love” (streaming below) is the perfect example of what makes Phillips project so accessible. Apparently inspired by an episode of "Leave It To Beaver," the tongue-in-cheek lyrics absolutely refuse to take themselves too seriously (“the boys are intimidated / they hafta look up to see her eyes”), while the stripped down arrangements bring a certain intimacy one could only attain in the type of open mic night that Phillips describes. He will be next performing at Neck of the Woods on February 15th. – Lilly Milman
